After roughly placating my downstairs neighbor and sending him on his way, I decided to take a closer look at the skill called Weakness Insight.
I wasn't worried about how to use it.
The moment I acquired the skill, the knowledge of how to use it settled into my mind as if I'd known it all along.
I went to the mirror.
"Weakness Insight."
As soon as I used the skill, sparkling effects appeared all over my reflection.
The effects shone brightest on my head and heart. Other parts of my body glowed too, but not as intensely as those two spots.
"This will be more useful against magical beasts than people."
Human weaknesses are all pretty much the same, but magical beasts often have unexpected weak points, which would make Weakness Insight incredibly useful.
If I could hunt magical beasts while working as a wizard, the pay would be pretty sweet, wouldn't it?
A smile automatically spread across my face at the thought.
"All that's left is the Golden Random Box."
I couldn't help but laugh as I said it.
And why wouldn't I? Just the starter equipment set and the skill acquisition ticket were an insanely good deal, far beyond my expectations.
And this wasn't just any random box; it was a Golden Random Box.
"Oh man, what if I get something like a Unique grade item? That would be too broken."
Just as my expectations shot through the roof and headed for Mars, I opened the random box.
[Would you like to open the Golden Random Box?]
[Y/N]
[Y]
[Opening…]
[TIP. Anything can come out of a random box.]
I waited for the box to open while reading a tip that wasn't much of a tip.
[The Golden Random Box has been opened.]
In real time, it hadn't even been five seconds, but it felt like ten minutes had passed.
Ah, come to think of it, does the time I spend in that other world apply to Earth as well?
As I was distracted by the sudden thought…
[Tada!]
[You have received a 'Shop Item Random Exchange Ticket'.]
[Shop Item Random Exchange Ticket]
[Grade: ??]
[You can randomly obtain one of the items currently listed in the shop. The grade of the obtained item will be randomly increased.]
[Time Remaining: 02:59]
"...What?"
Getting something that was neither a dud nor a prize made my head spin.
*
[Time Remaining: 02:13]
"Wait, wait… let me think…"
What came out of the Golden Random Box was an exchange ticket that let me randomly get one of the items listed in the shop.
The fact that it wasn't a selection ticket was a bit of a downer, but the item's grade being upgraded helped ease the disappointment.
The problem, however, was that everything currently in the shop was just a bunch of mediocre, low-grade items.
"Haa… The shop isn't going to refresh in the next two minutes, is it…?"
It could. The chances were just fucking slim.
But what if it didn't? I'd just be wasting the exchange ticket.
"...Still, it's not like there's nothing worth getting."
The items currently in the shop were: Iron Sword for 200 coins, Basic Alchemy Package for 500 coins, Basic Swordsmanship Book for 550 coins, Lowest Grade Health Potion for 600 coins, Lowest Grade Mana Potion for 600 coins, Top Actress Random Cunnilingus Ticket for 800 coins, Mystery Pill for 850 coins, Strength Enhancement Potion for 920 coins, and finally, the Forbidden Grimoire for 1,000 coins.
Honestly, everything except the Iron Sword and the cunnilingus ticket was decent.
Getting the Forbidden Grimoire would be the icing on the cake.
"God, Buddha, Jesus, Allah, Holy Mary, all the spirits of heaven and earth, please, please, please…!!"
[Would you like to use the Shop Item Random Exchange Ticket?]
[Y/N]
[Y]
"LET'S GOOOOOO!!!!!"
Fwaaa!
A new screen appeared with a flash of white light.
[Thank you for your purchase of the 'Top Actress Random Cunnilingus Ticket'.]
"FUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!"
The universe is screwing me over.
BANG, BANG, BANG!
"Hey!! Didn't I tell you to keep it down?! Do you know what time it is?!"
˙
˙
˙
Thud-
After another battle with my downstairs neighbor was over, I trudged back into my apartment and threw myself onto the bed.
"...The world can't do this to me."
A Top Actress Random Cunnilingus Ticket, of all things. How was I supposed to use a landmine of an item that could give me some gross old lady…
"...By the way, what time is it?"
I hadn't checked in the chaos, but it must have been around 8 PM when I matched with Iris.
I spent half a day plus another 30 or 40 minutes with her… so it should be almost 3 AM now, right?
I could sort of understand why the old man was so angry.
Just as I was thinking I should probably apologize to him later, I looked at my phone screen and couldn't believe my eyes.
[20:47]
"Is my… phone broken?"
The date hadn't changed either.
It was just… the same.
Racking my brain, I seemed to remember it being almost 9 PM…
If my memory was correct, that meant time on Earth had barely moved while I was with Iris.
"...This is seriously unbelievable."
This was like an onion; the more I peeled, the more layers I found.
Of course, since none of it was bad for me, I had no complaints.
The only minor issue was that while time stopped for others, my own lifespan kept ticking away. But extending one's life was a problem that could be solved by advancing as a wizard or consuming expensive elixirs.
Besides, it was hard to believe that the shop of this ridiculously overpowered app wouldn't sell an item that extended the user's lifespan.
In other words, I could use the app without a single worry.
"I'm suddenly feeling a lot better."
I was in a shitty mood after getting that fucking cunnilingus ticket, but now I felt a bit better.
It did say the ticket's grade would be upgraded, so maybe I should at least read the description.
Who knows? Maybe the upgrade changed it from random to a selection ticket.
With a cautious heart, I opened my inventory.
As if it knew its place, the ticket was shoved into a corner. I carefully tapped on it.
[Celebrity Insertion Selection Ticket]
[Grade: Epic]
[You can choose either the pussy or the anus of your desired celebrity and enjoy it as you please. When the ticket is used, the actress's chosen body part will be summoned, visible only to the user. The sensations are linked to the actress herself. ※There is no risk of pregnancy even if you ejaculate inside, so feel free to finish as you please.]
The moment I read the item description, one thing came to mind.
Isn't this just a wireless, remote-controlled onahole?
"It's nice, but…"
Even though it was only my second one, it was a bit disappointing that an Epic-grade item was for sexual gratification rather than something that could help in combat or with money.
Honestly, being able to fuck and cum inside the pussy of any celebrity I wanted? That was definitely an attractive offer for any man.
But after my encounter with Iris, there wasn't a single celebrity I was particularly drawn to.
Remembering what it was like to grope Iris's massive tits and kiss her wetly like a porn star, and then thinking about the actresses and idols I saw on TV… frankly, they all seemed lacking in many ways.
"I guess I'll save it for now."
I might meet a woman I like later, so I decided to save it until then.
However, it seemed that while equipment could be stored outside, the insertion ticket couldn't be taken out of the inventory for storage.
If my inventory, with its mere 10 slots, started to fill up, a moment might come when I'd have to use it against my will.
Until then, I'd have to diligently work on a list of candidates.
Maybe I should hold an Ideal Type World Cup or something.
If I gathered all the female celebrities, I could probably make a 512-person bracket. Anyway.
"For now, I should get some sleep. I'm fucking exhausted."
Now that I'd done everything I could, a wave of sleepiness washed over me.
It was only natural, considering I'd spent half a day with Iris in that other world without a single break.
"Tomorrow, I'll go to the Magic Tower… and submit my withdrawal from school…"
It looked like it was going to be the busiest day of my life.
*
Magic Towers are located in the capitals of developed countries around the world.
They existed in developing countries too, but their standards weren't very high, and they weren't well-regarded.
The Magic Tower in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, was called the Gray Magic Tower, and its lord was a 7th Circle Mage.
I didn't know why Korea's tower was the Gray Magic Tower, but the most plausible theory was that they were built according to the Tower Lord's personal taste or magical inclination, rather than the country's characteristics.
Of course, the tower's external appearance had little to do with the color gray.
It seemed true that they were fucking loaded with money; it was far more stylish and larger than any landmark built by a major corporation.
I'd heard they raked in money with every business they ran, probably because the association was made up of irreplaceable personnel like wizards, but I never imagined it would be on this scale.
To become a member of such a Magic Tower—as more than just an employee—one had to meet at least one of the following conditions:
One, be a wizard.
Two, have one's talent recognized by a wizard certified by the Magic Tower.
Three, pass the Magic Tower Lord's test.
Those were the three ways.
And I was planning to join the Magic Tower by fulfilling the very first condition.
Ding-dong-
"Customer number 213."
"Yes."
The Seoul branch of the Magic Tower, the Gray Magic Tower.
The first-floor lobby of this building, with its 110 floors above ground and 10 below, is always bustling.
Hunters seeking wizards for their parties, R&D staff from small and medium-sized enterprises seeking help with new product development, and various other people from all walks of life came here to request aid from wizards.
"Thank you for visiting the Gray Magic Tower. How may I help you today?"
The woman at counter number 2 on the first floor was named Kim Hyerin, age 27.
Though not a wizard herself, she had graduated from Hankuk University's business administration program and, a year ago, had been lucky enough to land a job at the Magic Tower, the dream workplace for countless job seekers.
Her job was customer service.
It was a role most office workers dreaded, but customer service at the Magic Tower was on a different level.
More than a few people had ended up in the hospital after acting rudely in the tower, so most visitors were quite polite.
The work involved a lot of memorization, but for the most part, it wasn't difficult.
On top of that, the benefits and salary were comparable to those of major corporations. She often thought that if a dream job truly existed, this might be it.
However, that didn't mean there were absolutely no strange people who came to her counter.
"I'm here to register as a wizard."
"...Excuse me?"
"Oh, right. I also want to enroll in the Magic Tower. Is there an application form or something?"
The employee doubted her ears.
What did this person just say?
Register as a wizard? Enroll in the Magic Tower?
He looks to be in his early twenties… Is he sick somewhere?
It wasn't unheard of for people to want to register as wizards. Some third-generation chaebols took private lessons and got lucky.
But people like that would never register at a general counter like this.
They were usually processed electronically on the upper floors or registered after a private meeting with one of the tower's professors.
"Sir? You seem young, so I'm telling you this for your own good, but you shouldn't joke around in the Magic Tower. Last time, a client who couldn't control his anger and caused a scene got a lawsuit slapped on…"
Fwoosh-
Thinking of him as a younger brother, she was trying to persuade him to leave peacefully when it happened.
"Is this enough to convince you?"
A flame flickered to life in the man's palm.
"...I'll get a supervisor."